Eric:
Excellent letter! I hope it is published. I would add that the public costs of private transport are considerable. The Department of Transportation is one of the highest funded Department in the state. Additionally, a study conducted by the 1000 Friends of Iowa indicates that the costs associated by the sprawl (catalyzed more and bigger roads) continue to penalize the public. Every tax dollar brought in by sprawl development costs tax payers up to $1.41 in additional infrastructure.
Again, I hope the letter get published. It would definitely serve the public to learn about alternatives to roads and sprawl.
Alisa
Alisa Stone
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Waste Management Assistance Division
502E 9th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319-0034
(515) 281-8308
>>> [log in to unmask] 03/02/00 01:55PM >>>
Thanks, Eric, for posting this op-ed piece.
Jane Clark
Des Moines
[log in to unmask]
----------
> From: Eric G Hurley <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Fwd: Cincy induced traffic press release today
> Date: March 01, 2000 6:11 PM
>
> Folks,
>
> I used the information from Tom Mathews' posting about highway induced
> traffic problems to comment on the highway construction plans in Des
Moines
> in a letter to the Des Moines Register. Unfortunately, for whatever
reason
> (perhaps too long or not considered timely) the Register did not run it.
> So, I pass the letter on to you for your consideration and comments. I
> really do believe that rapidly growing cities in Iowa such as Des Moines,
> Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Ames, and, for that matter, Waverly, Carroll,
and
> Pella have a tremendous opportunity to grow in ways that would avoid the
> problems seen in other urban areas. However, we currently not only
tolerate
> the current system, but we engineer it and subsidize it.
>
> I hope you find this of interest.
>
> Eric G. Hurley
> 829 Douglas Ave #3
> Ames IA 50010-6221
> [log in to unmask]
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * *
>
> February 10, 2000
>
>
> Dear Editor:
>
> With the rebuilding of I-235 and the addition and expansion of several
> other roads in the Des Moines area, there will indeed be some "dramatic
> changes to the city" (Road Revision, January 16). If Des Moines'
experience
> is the same as other cities there will be more traffic, more gridlock,
more
> sprawl, more loss of farmland, and more pollution.
>
> A recent study titled "Analysis of Metropolitan Highway Capacity and the
> Growth in Vehicle Miles of Travel" (Robert Noland, University of London
> Center for Transport Studies, and William A. Cowart, ICF Consulting,
> Fairfax, VA.) showed that cities which have similarly "improved" their
> transportation system by building and expanding highways actually induced
> more gridlock. Indianapolis experienced a 20%-50% highway induced
increase
> in traffic, Louisville a 34% to 77% increase. The national average was
15%-45%.
>
> New roads create the opportunity and pressure for development further and
> further away from their employment. Housing development occurs in the
sort
> of expansive, land wasting development common on the west side. People,
at
> first anyway, find it easy to travel further to get their services.
>
> Simply put, a new urban highway closes down your neighborhood grocery and
> hardware store and makes it feasible to travel to the new Lowe's and
> Walmart Superstores that are starting to ring the city. In an odd twist,
> inner city people now have to travel out to suburban malls and
superstores
> to make their purchases. As people drive more miles to get services,
> traffic increases. With that there is more gridlock and more pollution.
>
> Current cost-benefit analysis fails to take adequate account of the
changes
> in development and traffic pressure caused by these urban highways. Thus
> local decision makers are mislead into making poor transportation
planning
> decisions.
>
> The Des Moines metro area has a tremendous opportunity right now to plan
> their transit system before the problems become too frustrating and
> inefficient, starting with I-235. Perhaps I-235 needs to be eliminated
> rather than expanded. Cities like San Francisco, Portland, OR, and
> Milwaukee have found that by removing urban freeways and reconnecting the
> neighborhoods that were split and blighted, they are revitalizing their
> communities. Des Moines could reconnect the medical facilities on the
north
> side to the downtown again. Parts of the corridor could become linear
parks
> with commuter bike paths to downtown. This could dramatically improve the
> desirability of the near northeast side and other neighborhoods.
>
> Less radically, Des Moines should consider a scaled back rebuilding of
> I-235 aimed at improving the roadbed and exits to increase traffic flow
and
> safety and to make the road more aesthetically pleasing. No new lanes
> should be added, except, perhaps a special high speed bus lane to
> facilitate mass transit or a commuter bike path. Major through streets
like
> Euclid and University can be improved with the addition of turn lanes and
> computerized traffic lights to improve traffic flow and carry more
traffic.
> A more limited rebuild would also reduce the tremendous economic cost of
> having the road closed for so long as currently planned.
>
> For more distant transit, Des Moines should expand and improve its bus
> system, increasing its hours, ease of use, adding special priority bus
> lanes, and using technology to provide buses with priority at traffic
> lights. Rail and light rail should be seriously considered to move people
> from the suburbs to the downtown. Bike routes should be planned and
> constructed to facilitate safe, high speed commuting.
>
> To make this work planning and zoning of the entire metropolitan area
would
> have to be coordinated with the transit system. Housing development
should
> be encouraged near transit lines. New neighborhoods should contain many
of
> the common daily retail services such as a grocery and coffee shop to
> reduce the need to drive so far for services.
>
> Contrary to what we have expected, new urban highways are making many
> cities less desirable places to live. Des Moines is on the same path. Des
> Moines needs to plan now so that in 30 years average commutes haven't
> increased to 60 minutes or more and air pollution is choking us. Our
> quality of life and economic vitality is at stake.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
>
> Eric G. Hurley
>
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